Christmas gifts for chocoholics

These really simple decadent chocolate bites are perfect for that foodie friend who will turn their nose up at a Cadburys variety box!

Ingredients:

150g almonds, roast for 5-10 minutes until golden and then chop (you can use any nuts you like)
150g dried fruit (I used raisins and dried mango - random but all I had in the cupboards! But it tasted great and just goes to show any dried fruit will do).
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
100g spelt flour (you can use any flour you like)
80g brown rice syrup - again you could use honey, agave or syrup - if using honey or syrup you might need a little less as it's already pretty sweet.
2 tbsp coconut oil (or you could use butter), melted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground mixed spice
4 tbsp water
pinch of salt


Method:

Once the almonds have roasted, leave to cool and then mix with the dried fruit and rest of the dry ingredients. In a bain marie (bowl over boiling water), melt the coconut oil and pour in the syrup, stirring well. When combined, pour into the fruit and nut mix, adding water if needed until thoroughly mixed. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or baking paper. Pour the mixture onto the tray, pressing down with a spoon until well compressed. Bake for around 30 minutes at 150 degrees C. Remove from oven, leave to cool and then cut into small squares.
Keep refrigerated and then enjoy!

Keeping the balance

Yesterday I had the pleasure of being invited to speak at Tally Rye's Secret HIIT Club in London. It was such a fun way to start my Sunday - we did an intense workout on the set of Loserville at the Union Theatre, then were treated to some yummy snacks from ChicP and ProteinHaus and then I got to speak to the lovely attendees about what it means to me to 'keep the balance' over Christmas.

I thought I'd share some of what I spoke about as it's a tricky time of year when we're told to 'let our hair down and indulge' yet at the same time are reminded not to 'undo all that good work' and stick to our diet and fitness '#goals'.

So here are my thoughts - hopefully you'll find some, if not all of them helpful.

What is balance? It's a physical and emotional place where you're thriving and flowing. Diets should nourish your physical and emotional self. A salad and chicken breast might nourish you physically (for a while) but what is it giving you emotionally?

Ask yourself these 4 questions:

1. Is your current diet or way of eating allowing you to eat your favourite foods (regardless of nutritional quality) or are you denying yourself of these foods? If you're 'not allowed' remember that it's you not allowing yourself. Take back control and ditch that restrictive diet!
2. Do you often feel guilty when you've eaten certain foods? 
3. Do you have a black and white way of thinking about foods as 'good' or 'bad'? 
4. Is the way that you're eating at the moment enjoyable and sustainable for life? (would you recommend to your family/kids that they also eat this way?)

My top 5 tips for finding more balance in your diet

1. Think about what your food is giving you - physically and emotionally. Don't focus on what it's not giving you e.g. gluten, dairy, carbs, sugar. Focus on the positive. If that chocolate brownie is really going to give you a great deal of pleasure, go for it. If that protein bar isn't giving you anything physically or emotionally, scrap it.
2. Eat a little of what you love, and leave the things you're 'meh' about. This is particularly true over Christmas. If you LOVE banoffee pie, make that your treat. If you're 'so so' about christmas pud, let it go.
3. Avoid seeing food as good or bad. There's no such thing as bad food, just bad diet habits and bad relationships with food. No food is evil or the devil (even wheat ;-) )
4. Make eating a mindful experience. Think more about HOW you eat, not what you eat. Take your time, enjoy your food, eat in nice surroundings, don't multi task or eat on the go or in a rush.
5. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to yourself (so important I said it twice!). You will not put on a stone in a day, and probably not in a week either. Christmas is about enjoyment, loved ones, relaxing and being thankful for what we have.
Try not to compare yourself to others - people may look like they're eating healthier, exercising harder and having more fun that you are but they're probably not, and if they are, so what? Happiness comes when you stop comparing yourself to others.

Happy Christmas and best wishes for a healthy and loving 2016.

Ruth xx

High protein Paleo 'focaccia'

Ok, so this has more of a texture of a corncake but it tastes great dipped in a little olive oil and balsamic, or warm with some butter spread on top, yum!

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut flour (I used Biona)
4 eggs
100ml water (or more if it's looking a little dry)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp of salt (I used chilli salt)
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp rice protein powder (optional addition!)

Method:

Blend all ingredients in a food processor (easy!). Pour into a bread tin (greased with coconut oil). Bake in oven at around 180 degrees C for around 45 minutes. If the top starts to burn, cover with foil and continue to cook.

My Sunday hanging out with Martina - Aloha!

Last Sunday I was lucky enough to be invited by Maui Jim sunglasses to the Wimbledon Club for a day of tennis, cream tea and sunglasses - how could I refuse?!

On arrival the weather was looking a bit dodgy but luckily we were provided with tea, sandwiches, and a whole host of cakes before having to head out onto the courts - I'm pretty sure this is how Roger prepares for most of his big games. I made sure I wasn't snapped devouring the red velvet cake, us nutritionists have a rep to protect!

So carb-loaded and raring to go (I managed to resist the pre-match Pimms), we headed down onto the courts where the pocket rocket that is Martina Hingis was waiting to whip us into tip top tennis shape.   What a power house she is - you can see why despite being half the size of Serena and Venus she's just won two doubles titles at Wimbledon this year having come out of retirement for the second time!

Showing Martina how it's done!

We then sweated it out on the courts for a couple of hours - no wonder tennis players have such amazing legs, it really is quite a workout! By which time we'd earned some well deserved Pimms and more cake, strawberries and cream (Sundays are nutritionist's days off ;-) )

We were then treated to our choice of the gorgeous Maui Jim sunglasses (could this day get any better?!)

Oh yes it could, Hawaiian dancing anyone?

 A fantastic day all round and I've genuinely not taken off my Maui Jim's since - love them! http://www.mauijim.com If you're not familiar with them.

Thanks to everyone at Maui Jim and the Wimbledon club - and well done Martina for doing the double this weekend! (I knew my coaching tips would pay off).

Veggie Garam Masala 'Scotch' eggs

Ingredients: Makes 5

6 eggs (one for binding the ingredients)
1 can of cooked green lentils (I used Biona)
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced or crushed
coconut oil
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp dried chilli or chilli flakes
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of salt
black pepper
1/2 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
1/2 cup flour (I used spelt but you can use any flour you like)
1 courgette, grated





Method:
Heat about a tsp of coconut oil in a frying pan and lightly saute the onion and garlic - adding the spices and stirring after a few minutes. Add the grated courgette and saute for three more minutes.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool. In the meantime boil your eggs - no longer than 5 minutes is needed. Then set aside in cool water.
Next in a large food processor blitz the courgette and onion mixture, with the lentils (drained) and one egg. Stir in the polenta and flour.
Lay some cling film over a clean surface and using a wooden spoon dollop one 6th of the mixture in the centre. Flatten slightly and place a peeled egg in the centre. Using the clingfilm, roll the lentil mixture over the egg and shape with the cling film still in place into a ball shaped. Using floured hands dip the egg into a bowl of polenta and coat. Place on a greased baking sheet.
Repeat with the rest of the eggs.
Bake in the oven at 180 degrees C turning halfway. If you like a little extra bite, you can shallow fry the in coconut oil for a few minutes when you take them out of the oven to make them nice and crispy and brown!
Serve with mango chutney and yogurt and mint.

Chocolate avocado mousse (yep, avocado)

Raw chocolate mousse – serves 4
Ingredients:
1 large avocado
1 banana
1 tablespoon coconut oil
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons honey, agave nectar or maple syrup or 4 medjool dates
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 tsp chilli flakes or chilli powder (optional)

Blitz all the ingredients in food processor or blender adding a little water or nut milk if too thick. Chill in fridge for 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Peanutty soba stir-fry

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

1 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter

2 tablespoons reduced-salt soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)

1 tbsp miso paste

2 garlic cloves, finely diced or grated/crushed

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated

300g stir-fry vegetables (any veg you like)

1 onion

1 handful fresh basil or coriander

1 teaspoon chilli powder or fresh chilli

1 teaspoon of coconut oil

100g soba (buckwheat) noodles

Method:

Mix the peanut butter, chilli, 100ml of boiling water, soy sauce, fish sauce, miso and chilli in a bowl to make the satay sauce. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and add the ginger, garlic and onion to soften. Add the rest of the vegetables and stir-fry over a high heat for 3-4 minutes. In the meantime, cook the buckwheat noodles until tender, drain and add to the pan. Sprinkle with the basil or coriander and serve. (You could also add chicken, king prawns or tofu).  

Sweet potato gooey brownies

These brownies are vegan and gluten-free yet are still as gooey as proper brownies should be!

Ingredients:
Dry ingredients
3 tbsp coconut flour
30g ground almond
3 tbsp shredded coconut (you could also use chopped walnuts or pecans)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
2 tbsp raw cacao nibs (or dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 large sweet potato (peeled)
3 heaped tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp honey or brown rice syrup/malt syrup
100ml coconut/almond/rice milk

Method:

Steam or bake the sweet potato until tender. Melt the coconut oil and blend the sweet potato, coconut oil, honey and vanilla essence in food processor until smooth.
In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients together and slowly add the wet mixture, stirring in the milk slowly.

Grease a baking tray with coconut oil and spoon the mixture into the tray, smoothing over with a knife.

Bake in the middle of a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees C for around 25 minutes.

Leave to cool and then cut into squares. For an even more decadent treat, serve with a dollop of whipped coconut cream.

Spinach and sweetcorn quinoa breakfast muffins

These delicious muffins are a great breakfast on the go, or a healthier alternative to a sweet afternoon cupcake! You could experiment with any other flavours - feta cheese, dried or fresh herbs, peppers or sun dried tomatoes.

Ingredients: Makes about 18

200g Spelt flour (you could use any other flour)

120g Quinoa flakes

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 egg

80ml olive oil

250ml almond milk (or any other type of milk)

100g fresh spinach, finely chopped

150g sweetcorn kernels

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

1 tsp cracked black pepper

Pinch of salt

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C. 

Combine all of the dry ingredients and then stir in the spinach, sweetcorn. In a glass jar, combine the egg, olive oil and milk, whisking with a fork until well combined. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients using a fork until combined well.

Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases (it makes around 14 large or 20 small). Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve, or serve warm. 

Nutritional info per muffin:
179 calories
6g fat
5g protein
1g sugar

Cauliflower pizza (yes really)

I've been meaning to try this for ages and had been a bit dubious about whether you could really make a cauliflower pizza base taste good - and you can! Result. This is going on my weekly menu.

Ingredients:

For the base
1/2 cauliflower head
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (makes it taste better but is not essential - you could use dried herbs, a little mustard or just salt, pepper and chilli flakes)
 1 egg
chilli flakes
salt and pepper
dried herbs (optional)

For the topping
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 fresh tomato
2 garlic cloves
handful of fresh basil
1/2 grated courgette
black olives
1/2 tin anchovies
30g strong cheddar/any cheese
sweetcorn or any other veg
chilli flakes
olive oil

To make the base, grate the cauliflower and cook in microwave for around 7 minutes until tender.

Leave to cool and then stir in the nutritional yeast, salt and pepper, dried herbs if using and egg. Combine well. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and press cauliflower into pizza base shape. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180 degrees C for around 15 minutes (until golden brown and crispy).

In the meantime,  blend the tomato, garlic, tomato puree and basil in food processor or blender. Spread on top of the pizza, with the courgette and rest of the toppings.
Bake again in oven for around 15 minutes.

Peanut butter cups (Who needs Reese's?!)

No Hershey's in sight

I have to confess, if I could eat Reese's Peanut butter cups everyday, I would. But as a nutritionist I'd probably have to do this in secret!
So instead, I decided to try making healthy peanut butter cups - with less sugar, raw cocoa and super-fat coconut oil. They took less than 30 minutes from start to finish - bonus for when you're needing to scratch that sugar craving itch!
Now I wouldn't recommend guzzling these like fruit, they are after all still sweets. But one a day as a post-dinner treat? Go for it!

Ingredients:

Peanut layer

• 3 tbsp no-added sugar peanut butter (Meridian or Whole Earth are good brands)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tbsp rice malt syrup (or you could use honey)
•  Chocolate layer:
• 3 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp rice malt syrup
• 1 tbsp warm water

How to do it:

Using a food processor, blend all of the ingredients for the peanut layer. Spoon into small cake cases or silicone cake trays. Using a knife smooth the peanut layer. Harden in the fridge for around 15 minutes. To make the chocolate layer, melt the coconut oil and then stir in the rice malt syrup. Add the cacao powder and warm water, mixing until smooth. Cover the peanut cups with the chocolate and cool in fridge for around 15 minutes until set.

Enjoy! x

Gluten-free Banana and chocolate bread

As I was getting a bit bored of my buckwheat porridge I decided to make a not-too-sweet banana bread to have for breakfasts (ok, and morning, afternoon and evening!) this week.
I was worried the almond flour might leave it a bit dense but it was really light and fluffy. I added a few superfoods (chia, raw cacao) and prunes to give it a bit more sweetness. Delish.
(This recipe is an adaptation of Hemsley and Hemsley's banana bread.)





Ingredients:
2 large ripe bananas
3 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp rice malt syrup
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp lemon juice
230g ground almonds
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp raw cacao nibs
sprinkle of Himalayan salt
2 tbsp chopped prunes
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds (you could use any seeds or chopped nuts)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C and line a loaf tray with baking paper.

Mash the banana in with the melted coconut oil and mix well. Add the syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, eggs, lemon juice, prunes, bicarb and salt and mix well.
Stir in the ground almond, chia, cacao nibs and mix well until thoroughly combined. Pour into the tin and bake for just over an hour.
Serve warm or toasted!

Nutri Bullet - what's the biggie?

I've been asked a lot recently about the NutriBullet - what's so good about it/is it worth investing in one, why is it different to my blender?

Here are my thoughts. The NutriBullet is a "superfood nutrition extractor" (note, NutriBullet manufacturers came up with this definition!). It's called an extractor because it's effectively a very high powered blender, so can cut through really tough fibres in foods, allowing vitamins, minerals and essential fats to 'escape'. As it's so high powered, it can blend nuts and seeds and produce really smooth smoothies.

But surely our teeth, and then stomachs, and then intestines can do a pretty good job at getting to the nutrients we need? Yes and no. When we chew, we release enzymes that help to digest food - and our teeth obviously break food down. This all then continues in our stomachs and small and large intestines. When you have a smoothie or a juice, there's no chewing so less enzymes are produced to break down the food, but because it's already broken down, the nutrients will be absorbed more quickly. But this isn't always good - sugar is also absorbed more quickly, and you'll get a bigger sugar spike and then a bigger sugar crash (especially if you're having a smoothie or juice with fruit in it).

Juicing vs blending vs eating

With a juicer, you extract the juice from the fruit and veg and leaving behind the fibre. Good if you want an easy to digest nutrient boost, less good if you want filling up, or to get the benefits of slow releasing energy.
Blending keeps the fibre, and you can also add some protein and essential fats to your smoothies by using nut milk, coconut milk, avocadoes, nuts and seeds, yogurt, nut butter etc.
Eating your fruit and veg means you'll be getting all of the goodness - but you may not find you can get quite so much. For example it's very easy to stick a handful of spinach, an apple, 2 carrots and some ginger in a juicer - yet it would take much longer to eat and digest those whole!

Nutribullet vs blender vs juicer

Nutribullets are small, easy to use and easy to clean. They are a good choice if you want to add nuts and seeds to your smoothies and if you want to take it with you anywhere! Blenders can be just as good though - go for a high powered, glass jug blender for max benefits. Juicers can be bulky and difficult to clean but are a good choice if you want a low-fibre, nutrient rich boost (juices can be a good choice if you struggle to get much fruit and veg into your diet usually or struggle with high fibre).  The Phillips HR187 that I have is an easy to clean juicer.

Verdict

Smoothies can be a good way to get vitamins and nutrients in your diet when you're too busy to sit down and eat a proper meal, or if you're in need of any extra nutrient boost (perhaps you're run down, training for a hard physical event or have been poorly). Juices will do the same but won't fill you up and can be high in sugar if you don't make veggie based juices (always use a 3:1 ratio of veggies to fruits in your juices).
Aim to eat most of your meals and avoid juice cleanses or replacing meals with shakes or smoothies for any sustained time. You'll miss out on all of the benefits that healthy, delicious real food can bring you.

Superfoods of 2015

What will be the big food hitters of 2015? Say bye bye Kale and quinoa - these are the superfoods you need in your life this year.

Cauliflower

Yep, it's having a massive resurgence. But forget that mushy stuff served with your Sunday roast, it's all about using this old school veg to replace your carbs - think cauliflower pizza base, cauli mash or even cauli egg fried rice!

This white cruciferous vegetable might not look like it's a superfood powerhouse, but looks can be deceiving -  cauliflower contains super substances that can help to balance hormones, boost liver health, fight cancer AND lower blood pressure!

Try Hemsley & Hemsley's Cauliflower mash Shepherd's Pie - delish.

http://www.hemsleyandhemsley.com/recipe/cottage-pie-with-cauliflower-mash/

Bone broth

Seriously, I'm not pulling your leg. Bone broth is what all the cool nutrition kids are downing. Put down your green smoothie - bone broth is the latest statement drink to be seen guzzling.

What's so good about it? Bone broth is pretty high in nutrients as when you boil bones, many of the nutrients leach into the liquid - amino acids, collagen and calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. It's not a myth that chicken broth helps when you're ill - this is partly down to the anti-inflammatory substances found in the broth.

Other bonuses of making your own bone broth are that it's cheap, it saves food wastage and it will contain less salt and fat than your commercial stocks and soups. So get boiling those bones!

Lucuma

Forget Acai – there’s a new South American superfood on the scene. Lucuma is a subtropical fruit known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing properties. Despite being super-sweet, it has a very small effect on blood sugar levels making it a great choice for diabetics and for using instead of sugar to sweeten cakes, desserts or smoothies!

Bullet-proof coffee

Decaf, Soya lattes are so 2014, this year the bullet-proof coffee is hitting the mainstream. Paleo followers don't need any convincing that this unlikely combo of butter, MCTS (a group of fats) and coffee is the best way to start the day. But is it really better than a regular cappucino? Possibly, possibly not. A bullet proof coffee typically contains at least 2 tbsp of butter plus 1 tbsp of MCTs. This is a whole lotta fat to consume in one go. Many people will have this instead of a meal, meaning that they're missing out on other nutrients. On the plus side, fat keeps you feeling full, is an energy source and won't affect blood sugar levels dramatically.

Try it and see if it works for you but avoid replacing meals with this fatty coffee combo.

Amaranth

Like Quinoa,  Amaranth is in a group known as pseudo-cereals, which means it’s not a true cereal grain like oats or wheat. One of the benefits of this is that it’s gluten-free. Health benefits include its high protein content, alongside a good dose of iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.

Cook with a little veggie stock it in a similar way to rice, or have it instead of oats for a yummy porridge. 

Happy healthy 2015!
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